Wilshire Subway: The Making of the D Line Subway Extension

On May 8, the first segment of the D Line Subway Extension will open for service, adding 3.92 new miles of rail and three new stations to the Metro system.

But before the first cones were set out on the street, the Wilshire Subway was an unrealized idea passed down for generations. The Backbone Route. Metro Rail. The Purple Line. The D Line.

Wilshire Subway: The Making of the D Line Subway Extension is a photographic essay and cultural history of the D Line Subway Extension written and edited by India Mandelkern and photographed by Ken Karagozian.

The book features a foreword by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as additional essays by David L. Ulin, Leo Marmol, and James Rojas, which contextualize the project within broader conversations about the political, social, and geological complexities of Los Angeles.  

Published by Aurora Projects, Los Angeles
April 2026
English
82 pages
Softcover with 50+ black-and-white photographs
ISBN: 9798218874735
Dimensions: ‎ 8 x 10 x .25 inch
First Edition